Clay Chips

I have found that the best chips for doing most Flip Jumps are clay poker chips, because there is very good friction between the chips. This gets more important as the stacks you’re using get taller. The higher the friction, the better chip stacks hold together and land on each other. Probably the best quality clay chips available are called “Paulsons”, made by Gaming Partners International, formally Paulson Gaming Supplies. They are used in many casinos around the world, and are also available, in several styles, from many gaming suppliers online. I recommend my affiliate Discount Casino Gear for good prices and fast service.

All new Paulsons are what I call “Sharpies“, chips with a very sharp edge, which can do Flip Jumps that I call the “Zeros“. My favorite style is the “World Top Hat and Cane”, above left. They have a good rim size in relation to the inlay size, which makes them nicely weighted toward the outside edge. They range in weight from 8.8 grams to 10.6 grams, depending on the color. I carry 44 of these chips in 4 colors.

Another type of Paulsons I use are from my local Chumash casino, above right. They range in weight from 9.1 grams to 10 grams, with red chips being lighter than white chips. They have become “Rounders” due to heavy use and machine washing. They’re good for mixing Flip Jumps with “Shuffles“, since they’re easier to Shuffle than Sharpies. I carry 25 chips in 2 colors.

Other new Paulson chips that are available from online gaming suppliers include: the “National” series, the original “Top Hat and Cane” series, and the “Pharaoh’s” series, left. These chips are all made from the same mold, and they range in weight from 9.3 grams to 10.2 grams, depending on the color. I carry 8 assorted sample chips.

Ceramic Chips

Another type of chips found in many casinos are made of ceramic rather than clay. They are beautiful full-color full-chip printed chips with very rounded edges.They have a different feel than clay chips with a more glassy sound when ruffled. They have a nice pebbled surface with okay friction for taller stack Flip Jumps. They range in weight from 9.9 grams to 10.8 grams, depending on the color. I carry 8 “Rounders Casino” sample chips made by Chipco.

Composite Chips

The last type of chip I carry are common Composite chips, which can be found almost everywhere. They’re made of plastic and have a metal insert molded into the chip to add weight. They have a beveled edge and are slippery with very little friction. They’re cheap to buy, but are only good for the most basic Flip Jumps. As the stacks get taller, they just won’t stay together very well. They range in weight from 11.5 grams to 11.8 grams, no matter what color. I carry 20 chips in 2 colors.

I wanted to create a case that would carry plenty of chips, as well as having a good padded surface for practicing. I started with an empty 300 chip aluminum case, above center, (available for $8.94 from Discount Casino Gear (affiliate)). All the other materials are quite inexpensive, and the case is easy to modify.

To create the finished case, above left, I first removed the dividers separating the cards and the dice compartments, as well as the central four chip dividers. Next I created the padded insert, seen on the right above. It started with a 11 1/8″ x 7 1/4″ piece of 3/4″ plywood, covered with a 1/8″ piece of rubber mouse pad material. I then wrapped it with a piece of felt and stapled it to the bottom of the plywood to keep it tight. I then screwed a piece of 3/8″ plywood on the bottom so it would sit flat and raise the height. The insert fits snugly into the center section. There’s room to store 52-53 chips on each side of the insert.

Photo by Randy Morse

All of the videos you see here at Chip Flip Jump were shot using this case as the background. I just turn it around backwards and sit behind it, shooting from the front side.

Next time I’ll talk about the different kinds of chips I carry in this very cool customized case.

I didn’t think the Zeros were possible until I bought some New Paulson poker chips. By Zeros, I mean a Chip Flip Jump poker chip trick done without a Base stack. It’s only possible to do with chips that have a very sharp edge, (which I call Sharpies). Most chips don’t have a sharp enough edge, and some even have a very rounded or beveled edge, (I call all of these Rounders).

The 101 Test

The simplest way to see which type chips you have is to do the ‘101 Test’. If you’re able to do it, the chips are Sharpies, if not, they’re Rounders, which end up doing what I call a Tiddly, named after the game Tiddlywinks.

The first video below shows four types of chips doing the ‘101 Test’.

• New Paulson chips – Sharpies which can do a 101 with no problem.
• Used Paulson chips from my local Chumash casino – Occasionally you can pull off a 101, but not consistently. They’ve become Rounders due to heavy use and machine cleaning..
• Chipco Ceramic chips – Have a very rounded edge and do Tiddlys only, with an occasional front flip.
• Common Composite chips – Have a beveled edge and do Tiddlys only, and are almost controllable.

101 Test - 1:15

The Other Zero

Since a flip jump with no Jumper isn’t really a flip jump at all, (except maybe in your imagination), the only other Zero would be done with no Catcher stack.

The 420 example in the next video is really more of a Finger Flip Jump than a Chip Flip Jump, since you flip the Jumpers off the Base with your finger, and you don’t catch them. It’s not hard to do, and is usually done around here when it’s ‘break time’.

The Other Zero - 0:10

Until next time, keep Flip Jumping